Bags of the general type involved herein are frequently formed from flattened tube portions selectively severed from a length of tubing of appropriate material and subsequently heat sealed along the lower and upper edges thereof. An appropriate mounth-defining U-shaped cutout is normally made through the sealed upper edge, this cutout simultaneously defining both the upper mouth of the bag and a pair of laterally spaced handles. Such bags can be formed with or without side gussets.
It has become increasingly common to provide such bags in packs for suspension on racks with the individual bags separately dispensed therefrom. For such purpose, mounting apertures are formed in the handle portions of such bags as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,378 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,264. In such prior art bags the mounting aperatures are formed as small round holes having a diameter not sustantially larger than that of the mounting rods of the cooperating racks. When such bags are disposed in a mouth open position on the rods of the mounting rack (see, for example, FIGS. 2 and 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,378), the mounting apertures of the front and rear handles of the bag are displaced from each other as far as possible, with the length of displacement being limited by the maximum opening width of the bag and the length of the joined handle portions of the bags above the mounting apertures. This requires that the prior art bags have relatively elongated handle portions above the mounting apertures since, otherwise, it would not be possible to open the bag mouth to the extent required for filling.